From Season Three � Stirred:   JOSH What about Leo?   LEO What'd I do?   JOSH As running mate. Bartlet-McGarry.   LEO Done.   JOSH It's not absurd you know.   LEO Yes, it is.   JOSH It's not totally absurd.   LEO Yes, it is.   ***   LEO You guys don't think an alcoholic can be Vice-President? You really think the 20th century didn't see an alcoholic in the West Wing? I'll be around.   He stands up and leaves. Josh looks pensive.   CUT TO: INT. MARGARET'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Leo enters. Margaret hands him messages. Josh leaves the meeting and comes to join them.   JOSH Hey... Leo. That didn't mean anything?   LEO Yeah, I didn't take anything.   ***   JOSH I don't want to go back to my meeting.   LEO Well you're not staying here.   JOSH Okay. [leaves]   Title: Preparing the ground   Leo didn�t bother going to bed. He knew the telephone would ring. Or the doorbell. So he waited up.   Thirty minutes later�   �Um�can I�you know, come in?�   Leo stood aside and let Josh wander into his apartment, slowly, apparently wary that something bad might jump out at him as he entered.   �Josh?�   Leo�s attempt to kick-start the conversation failed miserably. Josh continued to walk around, finally backing against the wall separating the living room and kitchen. �Are you sick?�   Leo frowned. �No. Why?�   Josh heard and ignored the tone. �Was it some kind of test?�   Leo shook his head. �No.�   �Then why Leo�I mean��   �Why did I make you take such a difficult meeting on your own?�   �Yes!� Josh snapped crossly.   Leo took a deep breath. �You need the practice.�   �In what? Pissing people off? The Vice President? You?�   �Why would I be angry about what happened tonight?� Leo asked casually.   �Because�um�you know��   �Because I won�t be on the ticket this time?�   Josh fidgeted. �Yeah.�   Leo smiled and dropped into a deeply-upholstered armchair. �Siddown kid.�   Reluctantly, Josh sat.   Leo sat forward, forearms resting on his knees. �You don�t think the country will have a hard enough time re-electing the President, without my name beside his?�   Josh wasn�t letting Leo get away with it. �Don�t make this about Bartlet or MS. We�re talking about you.�   �No Josh, we aren�t!�   Leo�s voice had enough edge to make Josh back down under normal circumstances. Quickly. But these were not normal circumstances. �Is there something wrong with you too?�   Leo�s head snapped up. �What?!�   �Making me take that meeting was a way of making sure you didn�t take part in the discussion. I wanna know why.�   Leo shook his head. �Josh! I can�t weigh in on a discussion about��   Crossly, Josh scowled. �So you sent me in there to do your dirty work for you, knowing full well the President had no intention of taking Hoynes��   Leo waited until Josh looked up, saw his face and stopped talking. �You done?�   Josh nodded, embarrassed and uncomfortable. Softly, he asked: �Why Leo?�   �Because I might die.�   Josh�s face flickered with a flash of panic before he controlled his emotions at the thought. Stubbornly, he shook his head. �No.�   Leo smiled a little. �And if you have to take over at short notice, I don�t want you doing a crappy job.�   Josh got up. �Can we not talk about this please?�   Leo shrugged. �You came over.�   Josh acknowledged the point with a nod and turned. �Yeah. I�m�going now.�   Leo got up. �C�mere.�   Josh walked across and stood in front of Leo, head down, shoulders slumped.   Leo hugged Josh tightly for a moment, then pushed him away, holding his forearms tightly. �No more practice for a while, okay?�   Relieved, Josh forced a slight smile. �Okay.�   Leo released Josh who picked up his backpack, pulling it on. �See you tomorrow.�   Leo nodded. �Yeah. Don�t be late. Your boss likes punctuality.�   Josh smiled and turned to leave. �Night Leo.�   End       Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index Return to the Short Fic Index